They arrived at the indicated location exactly 37 minutes after take-off. Reno was the first to hit ground on a patch of dry mud close to the warehouse's back entrance. Jae was second and Cid landed the fat lady when he was sure the ground would not give in under the weight of his Quadricopter. Infantrymen had gathered around the building leaving no free spot of concrete to land on.
"Ignorant fools!" was the only greeting they got from the red-headed TURK.
Their superiors ran to Tseng to share latest intel and receive orders.
Jae waited in her chopper with Shelke and Vincent.
She's scared. Do something!
What am I to do? Of course she's scared... we all ought to be given the situation!
I don't like her being scared. Comfort her!
What would you have me do Chaos? She's busy studying the plans, what we should be doing too now!
She's pretending to be studying the plans so you won't notice how afraid she is of what might be down there!
Chaos please... this isn't the right moment to get fuzzy about her feelings.
I know you don't feel very well right now too. You might just talk to her.
You won't let go?
Not a chance!
Grrhh
"So Jae... any idea what will happen next?"
That was smooth...
Shut up!
"Erm... Well, whatever Tseng and the other operators decide I guess... Sending in SOLDIERS first to kill everything that moves or sent in some people with brains first to figure out who's friend and foe before hunting things down. We'll see..."
"SOLDIERS have brains too Jae..."
"Yeah, just to bad they quit using them after receiving orders!"
"Do you think Hojo's in there?", Shelke asked with her shy little girls voice.
Jae patted her hand and looked into her eyes: "We can't be sure but don't worry! As much as Vinny and Chaos despise him, they wont give him any chance to hurt anyone we love again!"
No pressure...
She's got a point though Vincent
Yeah...
Their headset crackled as Tseng started giving orders. He was usually the head operator these days as Rufus trusted his judgement best and thought of him as the most capable of his leaders.
Jae and her friends liked watching the sour faces the other operators made under the command of the head of the TURKS. It was hilariously ironic seeing former SOLDER generals jump to Tseng's orders. They were certainly not happy but none dared questioning his authority.
SOLDIERS were invading the warehouse. Jae received the recent thermoscans on her monitor. There were quite a few things alive down there...
After a few minutes the first wounded SOLDIERS were dragged out of the warehouse and handed to the infantrymen still surrounding the building. They were brought to Jae's chopper where Shalua and her team attended to them.
"What wounds?", she called out to the medics.
"So far mainly bitten and clawed", someone called back.
"Monsters!", Vincent growled with antipathy.
We should go in.
We should.
"Need help?", Jae offered.
"Nah thanks not yet"
"Just call us!"
"Will do!"
Vincent could feel the uneasiness growing in Jae as she bit her lip in distraction.
"We're out, Chaos wants to investigate"
"Be careful Vin!"
"Don't worry about me", he forced a smile on his lips, gently patted her head and jumped out of the chopper.
"Shelke, bring us a medium healing materia!"
The dry ground was turning into a red brown muddy mess in some places of the healing tent.
Shalua waved her younger sister closer:"Hurry, this one's not gonna make it without!"
Jae hated waiting alone in the chopper. She tuned in Reno's heli channel. "Hey Reno!"
"Yo babe, what aya up ta?"
"Waiting for orders... my favorite!"
"Yeah Rudo 'n I been babysitting the chopper ta so far."
"Hey Rudo!"
"Hey!"
"So none ta comfort yet for ya miss psycho?"
"No, they're all busy yelling for healing materia and other medics so far. No one's in the mood for telling me what bit them so far."
"Biting wounds huh?"
"Yeah Hojo's terrific creatures again I guess..."
"Boss been expecting no less it seems, seeing what units he brought along yo."
"Seems so."
"..."
"All clear - up to level -7! I repeat: all clear - up to level -7! Need more fire-power to breach the doors leading down to -8. Reno, Rude bring in the explosives!"
"With pleasure boss!"
Great two more to worry about, Jae's headache seemed to feed on her fear and was getting really annoying. She ran her hands trough her hair and looked up hoping for orders. Minutes passed and felt like hours.
"Doors to lvl-8 breached regroup and- OMG, back up! Back up!"
Jae jumped up in terror, peeked through the front chopper window to the back door of the building. Nothing was moving there! She needed to get closer! Fuck orders, none's gonna steal the damn chopper or the freaking materia piled up in it now! And if... who cares! Reno was down there and she didn't know what was going on! She ran to the building crossing infantryman carrying heavily wounded SOLDIERS. She ran down the stairs. The air was thick with the malodorous smell of iron, gunpowder, smoke, blood and other things she tried not to identify. On minus 6 it was pitch black. Minus 5 had been dark but the half-used up flares on the ground had spent enough light to see the passage way. She fumbled for her pocked light when a hand grabbed her. She screamed in panic and pointed her gun right in the face of her attacker. "Easy yo, ya don't wanna put a bullet through my pretty head do ya?"
"Reno you imbecile I could've shot you!"
"Good for me that ya use ya brain b'fore pulling the trigger then ey?"
"I heard Tseng through the plugs, what's going on?"
"Yeah what part of -back up!- didn't ya get hun?"
Jae's eyes adjusted to the dark. She could make out Rudo behind Reno.
"I was worried!"
"So were we!"
"Then why are you on level-6 when Tseng on -8?"
"Cause we were on -3 when he yelled, ran down again ta -7 were screamed at by bossman we should go back ta da chopper and figured we'd just wait here for ya!"
"The hell?"
"Yup", Rudo agreed.
"So now what?"
"I guess the usual; disobeying orders and gettin' bossman outa trouble yo!"
"Sounds like a plan! Let's go!"
They squeezed their way down to level -7 where a whole SOLDIERS squad was waiting for orders. Jae had to cough as the dust and smoke from the explosion still lingering in the air evaded her nose. Vincent or rather Chaos for that matter heard her and smoothly moved trough the crowd with masks for the three of them.
"Already wondered how long you would stay out of trouble" he gave her a quick hug and moved back to the frond row.
Now that was new ground.
Shut up!
You were worried and felt touchy.
I never feel touchy!
You hugged her. Well done Mr Stoic, you're making progress.
Stop it, we got work to do.
Someone better soon find something to fill that gap to the other side or I'll get my wings out and fly over to see what atrocities are hidden there.
You stay where you are and so do your wings Chaos! We'll wait and see what Tseng decides.
The mass of people moved to let men with long ladders make their way towards the leader.
"Good how many do we have? Fine make a way of 3!"
"Make rows, grab hold of each other 3 by 3!"
"The first go!"
"3,6,9,12, !"
"What do you see on the other side? Is there a way to open the door?"
"We haven't figured out how yet!"
"He should sent over someone with less muscle and more- u know!", Jae hissed.
Reno grinned and Rudo noded approvingly.
They saw Vincent running over the ladder towards the small group.
"Bet that was Chaos controlling yo, seen how deep it's going down there? Vinny wouldn't have made it without a panic attack haha."
"How can you still make stupid jokes? Can't you ever be serious?"
Tifa whispered angrily from the side. She and Cloud had just joined the others.
"Hey you two", Jae greeted them quietly, glad to see them unharmed.
"Hey Jae", the woman greeted back. Cloud nearly never talked to her. Jae believed he was feeling responsible for Zack's death and felt guilty towards her cause her "brother" had died saving his life. Or he was still mad from when she told everyone that the one he's been hunting down a few years ago was still the Sepiroth they once knew, misguided by the calamity Jenova and not the monster they liked calling him.
Tbc...
Hope you enjoy the read :-)